Talk:Lies, damned lies, and statistics

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[edit] Origin

I believe the phrase "Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics" was originated by Leonard Courtney (Lord Courtney); see my web page

http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/maths/histstat/lies.htm

Peter M Lee (math16@york.ac.uk)

Your argument looks pretty persuasive. Why not write it up into a one-paragraph summary and include it in the article? Maybe we should remove the Disraeli reference from the intro, as well. - DavidWBrooks 17:11, 24 Aug 2004 (UTC)#

That would be Leonard Courtney, 1st Baron Courtney of Penwith Jooler 09:27, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

Prof. Lee's webpage offers no argument against Disraeli; and if it orginally was, as I recall, "church statistics", web-searches would not find it. (Church statistics were inflated both for denominational pride and because the state subsidized sectarian education programs...) Septentrionalis PMAnderson 13:48, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

<<Note that the Twain reference is actually Twain noting that the quote is attributed to Disraeli. SWMS>>

[edit] Google Books

Check out this. Some of the cataloging of dates might be off a bit, but it looks like several publications there predate the ones we mention, particularly the 1845 one. See also a listerv post from someone who noticed the same thing.--Pharos 07:17, 21 September 2007 (UTC)